· August 2013 figures
· Last Year's figures
September 2012
Still better than last year!
This time last year, we were crowing over our first ever Premier League win at Old Trafford, but after 6 games, we were still not as good as this year, when we are two points and two places better off. Bear in mind that last season, we did achieve our best ever Premier League points tally, one wonders what we can go on and achieve this season.
It is still very early days in the Premier League season, of course, but when you look at last year's table after 6 games, you might be surprised at how repesentative it was of the standings at the end of the season. The top four included Chelsea and both Manchester teams, with only Arsenal below us at that point. Everton had made an excellent start, but would slip down.
At the other end of the table, both QPR and Reading were in the bottom two places, with Wigan just 16th. Perhaps there won't be much change from our current standing. We'd all be ever so happy if both Manchester teams stay below us!
September started and ended with a London Derby, and in 6 league games, we have already played 3 of what will be a total of 10 such games, with the fourth coming next Sunday at home to West Ham. Those two September games were of course against our fellow top four contenders, Arsenal and Chelsea, in which we lost our only points in the league so far. We put in an excellent first half performance against Chelsea, and easily matched them for genuine quality of football, coupled with team and individual performances. Although beaten by Arsenal, it was by the solitary goal, which was brilliantly taken, and we did have the gooners under greater and greater pressure as the game drew to a close.
Our three league games in October are eminently winnable (West Ham (H), Villa (A), and Hull (H) ). Dropped points in any of these games would be expensive, because most of the other contenders also have good games. The toughest fixtures I can see for top four contenders are Man City v Everton next week, and Chelsea v Man City at the end of the month.
Christian Eriksen made his Spurs debut in the home game against Norwich on September 14th, and immediately became the darling of the press, and a favourite with the Spurs fans. Eriksen gave an immaculate man of the match show in that game; scored a cracking goal as substitute in the next game against Tromso, and has done enough to be the top marked player in September, leaping above Hugo Lloris in the ongoing vote for player of the season.
Gylfi Sigurdsson is our leading league goal-scorer, whilst Jermain Defoe has made hay in Europe and against Aston Villa in the Capital One Cup to lead our early score statistics with 6 goals. That is four more than Soldado, who has just scored those two penalties in the first two games, which is enough to get some Spurs fans worrying about his true scoring potential. Soldado is a strong and skilful competitor though, and has had assists and vital input in at least two more of Spurs goals. I'm sure he'll be hitting the net in open play realaly soon.
Things are looking so good for Spurs really on all fronts, when you consider the ease with which we beat Villa in the Capital One Cup with a second string team which started with only three of what has been the core of our first team so far this season. We haven't seen Aaron Lennon since day one of the season (back soon). Etienne Capoue will be available again after the International break, and Erik Lamela, our record signing, has yet to truly make his mark in the team.
I've said it often before, and I'll say it again - It's good to be a Spur!
...if you want to read reports of the matches played during this season, then links are on the Spurs Odyssey Fixtures/Reports page here. By working your way back through the previous month's figures, you can review the performances over 13 years!
